Kate O’Brien, MD, MPH, director of immunization, vaccines, and biologicals at the World Health Organization, delivered the honorary keynote lecture.
Kate O’Brien, MD, MPH, director of immunization, vaccines, and biologicals at the World Health Organization (WHO), delivered the honorary keynote lecture at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health’s (CVD) 31st Annual Frontiers in Vaccinology on Oct. 29, 2024.
Her talk, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Vaccination: Shaping the Future for Impact and Equity,” focused on the critical need for equitable vaccine distribution and highlighted persistent challenges faced by underserved communities worldwide.
O’Brien underscored the transformative impact of vaccination programs over the last 50 years. She noted that millions of lives have been saved through immunization efforts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
“Looking at 14 vaccine-preventable diseases, we've quantified country-by-country, year-by-year, how many lives were saved over five decades. The estimate exceeds 154 million lives,” O’Brien said. “In fact, 40 percent of the reduction in infant mortality over these 50 years is attributable to immunization programs.”
O’Brien also linked immunization efforts to global health priorities, noting that vaccines contribute to 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals and align with two of WHO’s "3 Billion" objectives for healthier populations.
“Immunization is one of the best investments we can make,” she said. “It has the highest return on investment among social, economic, and health interventions, outperforming public infrastructure, preschool education, and community health worker programs.”